Live from Vietnam....

...it's Tuesday NIGHT!

Music- Disturbia- Rihanna
Mood: Loving Life

Haha! Sorry, I had to do that. It's currently 10pm in Vietnam (11pm in HKG), and I'm sitting in the lobby of the hotel in Saigon (now known as Ho Chi Minh City). I think I'm paving blogger history as I write this post. I'm the first BBA Blogger who's blogged outside of the country (in HKG) and now while on travels. Haha! As Barney, from How I Met Your Mother would say.... "It's.... wait for it... wait for it.... LEGENDARY!"

Ok, so fact: I have to catch an airport transfer at 3:30 AM to SGN airport for a 6am flight back to Hong Kong. I'll land in Hong Kong around 9:30am, Wednesday morning and then take the subway back to UST, ready to catch my 1:30pm class and then my 4pm class. I'm going to be soooo tired but this trip has been totally worth it. I'll post pictures later, but right now, I'll just blog.

So I leave Hong Kong on Wednesday for Vietnam at 8:40pm, and I've been in Vietnam and Cambodia for 6 nights! This has been the longest trip I've taken. The other trips to the Philippines and Thailand have been Thurs to Monday trips, but this one is Thurs to Wednesday. Crazy, huh?

OK. I'm getting eaten alive right now by mosquitos in this lobby so here's a quick rundown of what I've done this wk.

Thursday- Flew into SGN, landing at 10:10ish.
Friday- Cu Chi Tunnels (where the Viet Cong hid underground as the US attacked them); Vietnamese War Remenats Museum; crazy market; Notre Dame Cathedral
Saturday- 12 hr bus ride to Siem Reap, Cambodia
Sunday- Angkor Thom, Angkor Wat and surrounding temples built between the 11th and the 15th century--- intersting fact- i saw the temple where Tomb Raider was shot
Monday- fishing village boat cruise on the lake near siem reap..... These fisherman make between 100 and 250 USD a YEAR... wow! took 6 hr bus ride to Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Tuesday- visited the Killing Fields outside of Phnom Penh (total killed by the Khmer Rouge, 3 million, in 1976ish, total population at that time was 7 million; Russian Market; Independence Monument; 6 hr bus ride to Saigon, Vientam
Wednesday- flight at 6am back to HKG

Ok. Seriously, these moquitoes are relentless. Gotta go!

wait--- let me write one profound statement:

Traveling Southeast Asia has been one of the most humbling experiences of my life, reaffirming my passion and desire to help others less fortunate than myself. I've seen poverty and destituion. I've seen prostitutes and tuk-tuk drivers. I've seen the clash between preserving culture and accepting the Western ways. I realize the fortune I have been blessed with simply becuase I was born in the United States to a family who could provide for my needs. When I was 6 years old, I didn't have to walk from table to table in the city, selling cigarettes and gum to the wealthy tourists; I did have to bathe in the lake or beg for cashew nuts at the bus stop. I love Southeast Asia. The people are truly genuine and friendly. It's just so sad to see the corruption of the government and the pure disregard for human rights. All in all, however, I believe that my traveling has made me a more concious and mindful world citizen.